Sunday, January 24, 2010

New BMW 335is Coupe and Convertible with 320HP Twin-Turbo Six Officially Revealed

BMW's North American division has released official details on the new 335is Coupe and Convertible models ahead of their world debut at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Based on the facelifted versions of the 3-Series Coupe and Convertible, the 335is feature a detuned version of the 340HP N54 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six found in the also new Z4 sDrive35is.

In the 335is this unit produces 320 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque with up to 370 lb-ft of torque available through the use of temporary overboost. As a reminder, BMW replaced the 300HP twin-turbo six N54 with the new 300HP single-turbo six N55 in the 2011 335i.Aside from the more potent 320HP engine, the 335is are also the first 3-Series models in the U.S. to be offered with BMW's 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) with Launch Control as an option, in place of the standard 6-speed manual transmission.

BMW said that top speed of the 335is will be electronically limited to 150 mph or 241km/h.

The 335is Coupe performs 0-60 mph (96km/h) runs in 5.0 seconds with the optional 7-speed DCT and 5.1 seconds with the manual 6-speed. The 335is Convertible, meanwhile, requires 5.2 seconds for the 0-60mph run whether equipped with the 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed DCT.

Other notable upgrades under the hood include the additional radiator behind the left-side front air intake, along with a more powerful electric cooling fan, stiffer engine mounts and a new sport exhaust system.

Above and beyond the cosmetic tweaks of the facelift models, the 335is get M Style bumpers, the rear with an integrated diffuser, new kidney grille surrounds in high gloss black, Shadowline black window trim, wing mirror caps in high gloss black, and standard 18-inch light alloy wheels in ferric grey color (19-inch are optional).

The 335is will initially be available only in the U.S. and Canada with prices in the States starting from $50,525 including destination for the 335is Coupe, and $59,075 including destination for the Convertible.